iCarsoft diagnostic code guide
Stored vs pending vs permanent codes describe different diagnostic records, not three levels of repair cost. Read the status beside the diagnostic trouble code (DTC), identify the reporting module, and save the evidence before clearing anything. The same code can appear in more than one list.
Stored vs Pending vs Permanent Codes: What Is the Difference?
A code identifies a detected condition; its status tells you how the vehicle has recorded that condition. Keep both pieces of information. A report that says only “P0420” leaves out information that can change the next diagnostic step.
| Status | What the record means | What it does not prove | First action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stored / confirmed | The fault met the applicable confirmation criteria; commonly accessed through Mode $03. | A presently active failure or a particular bad component. | Save the code, module, lamp status, and available freeze frame. |
| Pending | A failure was detected in the relevant recent monitoring period; commonly accessed through Mode $07. | A harmless event, or a code that must mature on the next engine start. | Record the conditions and investigate whether the same fault recurs. |
| Permanent | A retained emissions fault record, accessed through Mode $0A where supported. | An unrepairable vehicle, a failed repair, or a scanner malfunction. | Check the repair evidence and the vehicle’s monitor-based clearance requirements. |
The traditional service numbers above are documented in Snap-on’s OBD-II service-mode reference. A scanner may present plain-language menus instead. Do not assume every vehicle supports every service.
Stored does not always mean active now
“Stored” is often the scanner’s label for confirmed emissions codes, but it can also be used more broadly in manufacturer-specific menus. Read the menu context before interpreting the word. A retained record can remain useful even when the symptom is absent during your scan.
Pending does not simply mean “one more start”
Many monitors use confirmation logic that spans qualifying trips. Starting the engine twice is not the same as running the relevant test twice. Temperature, load, time, and other enabling conditions can determine whether the monitor evaluates the fault.
Ford’s 2015 hybrid OBD system description illustrates both conventional confirmation logic and monitor-specific strategies. It also describes pending records continuing while a fault is present. That is why a universal “pending becomes confirmed after two starts” rule is misleading.
Permanent does not mean permanent damage
The word describes how the record is retained, not whether the car can be repaired. California BAR explains that a permanent DTC survives scanner clearing and battery disconnection; the OBD system removes it after verifying the relevant defect is no longer present. See the BAR permanent-DTC standards.
Can the Same Code Be Stored, Pending, and Permanent?
Yes. These are separate diagnostic records, so one code can appear under multiple statuses. Do not count the repeated entries as separate broken components, and do not imagine that every code moves through three exclusive boxes in a fixed sequence.
Example: duplicate-looking entries
An illustrative report lists the same emissions code as confirmed and permanent. Save both entries. The report describes two record types; it does not establish two failures or justify buying two parts.
Example: pending returns after repair
A new pending entry for the same condition is a reason to investigate again. Compare test conditions and repair evidence rather than assuming the permanent record merely “changed into” a pending one.
Also check the module name. Similar text returned by different controllers is not automatically a duplicate. Preserve the original report with module identifiers and any status detail before simplifying it for your notes.
Are Current, Active, and History Codes the Same Thing?
No. Current, active, history, intermittent, and “failed this ignition” are manufacturer- or tool-dependent descriptions. They do not map universally onto generic stored, pending, and permanent emissions records.
A history entry may help explain an intermittent complaint even when its symptom is absent now. A current-status entry may offer stronger evidence about the present test condition, but the manufacturer’s definition still matters. Snap-on’s code-menu documentation explicitly notes that terminology and available functions vary with the vehicle manufacturer.
If two tools disagree, first compare the selected vehicle, reporting module, generic versus enhanced menu, software version, and retrieval time. A screenshot without those details can make two different views look contradictory.
How Should You Read and Save Codes Before Clearing Them?
Start with a read-only scan and build a record you can compare later. The aim is to preserve the original complaint, not to make the screen empty. Use the tool’s instructions for connection and ignition state.
- Identify the vehicle and complaint.Record the VIN, model year, engine, mileage, warning lights, symptoms, and recent repairs or battery work. Note whether the engine is cold or warm.
- Capture each code list.Read supported stored, pending, and permanent emissions lists. Save the exact DTC, description, status, and reporting module—not just the total code count.
- Add operating evidence.Save available freeze frame, commanded MIL status, and readiness. Record relevant live data only under safe, repeatable conditions; keep units and test conditions with the values.
- Read relevant enhanced modules.If the complaint involves transmission, ABS, or another system, use supported manufacturer-specific access. Retain current/history labels exactly as displayed.
- Export a baseline.Save the report or take clear screenshots, label them “before repair,” and confirm you can reopen them. If a field is unavailable, record that fact instead of treating it as zero.
- Diagnose, repair, then compare.Follow the applicable service procedure. Clear data only when appropriate after saving it, then perform the required verification and save a separate “after repair” report.
Use the freeze-frame data guide to understand the captured snapshot, and the live-data reading guide when comparing the symptom with current operating values. These views complement code status; they do not replace diagnosis.
Why Do Codes Remain After a Repair or a Clear Command?
A remaining code can mean different things: the fault recurred, the relevant verification has not completed, or you are viewing a retained record. Check which explanation fits the status and evidence before repeating a repair.
Confirmed code returns
Check whether it returned immediately or after the original operating condition. Revisit the diagnostic tests and related faults; erasing the result again does not correct the cause.
Only a permanent record remains
Review monitor completion and vehicle-specific clearance conditions. Do not buy another component solely because the permanent list is not empty.
Pending record disappears
Keep the baseline and continue appropriate verification. One clean reading does not explain an intermittent symptom or prove that every relevant test ran.
The report looks unchanged
Confirm that you have run a fresh scan rather than reopened a saved report. Compare timestamps, ignition conditions, module selection, and the exact status list.
What does clearing codes change?
A generic emissions clear command can remove diagnostic evidence such as ordinary code records and freeze frame, and reset readiness information. Permanent DTCs are different: a normal clear command does not erase them. Save the original data and follow the repair procedure before using that command.
There is no universal mileage that clears every permanent code. The relevant monitor must be able to run and satisfy the vehicle’s criteria; driving without meeting those conditions may not help. Ask for the OEM verification procedure if a correctly repaired vehicle will not complete its checks, and check applicable service bulletins or software updates.
Will These Code Statuses Affect an Emissions Test?
Inspection results depend on the program, vehicle, commanded MIL status, readiness, and any applicable permanent-code check. A dashboard light that is off is not an inspection certificate, and a scanner’s clear command does not prepare a vehicle by itself.
California’s current BAR reference includes permanent-code checks for supported 2010-and-newer vehicles, plus exceptions and vehicle-specific guidance. Its 15-warm-up-cycle and 200-mile provision is an inspection-treatment rule—not a promise that the code erases at that distance, not a repair instruction, and not a nationwide pass rule. Consult the current BAR reference or your own local inspection authority.
Keep three questions separate: Was a fault recorded? Has the relevant monitor completed? Does the inspection program accept the current result? Answering only one can lead to a wasted appointment. Check readiness again after any procedure that resets diagnostic information.
Does a Pending Code Mean It Is Safe to Drive?
No code-status label is a driving-safety assessment. Consider the symptoms, warning lamps, affected system, and owner’s manual instructions. A pending entry is not permission to continue driving a vehicle that is running badly.
For a steady lamp without obvious symptoms, arrange diagnosis and follow the vehicle’s guidance rather than assuming urgency from the word “stored.” For brake or airbag warnings, assess those systems separately; the generic emissions menu may not contain the relevant fault.
Which Scanner Functions Help You Compare Code Status?
Choose the required access and reporting features before choosing a price tier. For generic emissions checks, a compatible basic reader may be enough if it shows the supported code lists, MIL status, readiness, and freeze frame. Broader module work needs confirmed enhanced coverage.
CR MAX BT: keep the before-and-after record
The CR MAX BT product page lists full-system diagnostics, a 7-inch touchscreen, wireless Bluetooth VCI, and diagnostic reports that can be saved, shared, and printed. That reporting workflow can help organize repair evidence.
Confirm the exact vehicle, module, status fields, and report contents before purchase. The scanner cannot override a vehicle’s permanent-code clearance rules, and support varies by vehicle and software.
Provide VIN, model year, engine, module, and required code-status view.
When reporting an unexpected result to support, include the original screenshot, scanner model, software version, selected menu, exact DTC, status, and what changed between scans. Do not include a theory alone, such as “the scanner will not delete the code.” The status may explain why deletion is not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a stored code the same as a confirmed code?
In many generic OBD2 menus, stored refers to confirmed emissions-related codes. Manufacturer-specific menus may use stored more broadly. Read the reporting module and the tool’s definition before treating stored as a synonym for current or active.
Can a pending code turn on the check-engine light?
A pending record can exist before the light turns on, but pending and confirmed records can also coexist while the light is on. Check the commanded MIL status separately; the presence of a pending entry alone does not tell you the lamp state.
Can a scan tool erase a permanent DTC?
No. A normal scanner clear command cannot erase a permanent emissions DTC. The vehicle’s OBD system must verify the relevant problem is no longer present and satisfy its clearance criteria. Disconnecting the battery does not remove that requirement.
Why is a permanent code still there after the repair?
The vehicle may not yet have completed the required verification, or a fault may remain. Check fresh stored and pending lists, relevant monitor results, and the OEM procedure. A permanent record alone does not prove that the replacement part or repair failed.
How many miles does it take for a permanent code to clear?
There is no universal mileage. Clearance depends on the vehicle, code, monitor conditions, and successful verification. An emissions program’s mileage allowance is not the same as the vehicle’s code-erasure logic.
Can the same DTC appear in all three lists?
Yes. Stored, pending, and permanent are distinct records, not mutually exclusive stages. Save each status and reporting module. Repeated entries for the same DTC do not automatically mean multiple components have failed.
Should I clear codes before taking the car to a technician?
Usually, preserve the evidence instead. Save codes, statuses, module names, available freeze frame, and symptoms. Clearing can remove useful information and reset readiness. Follow the technician’s or manufacturer’s instructions if a clear command is part of a documented procedure.
Sources
- California BAR: OBD test reference
- Ford: 2015 HEV OBD description, diagnostic executive
- Snap-on: OBD-II service modes
- Snap-on: code-menu terminology
- iCarsoft: CR MAX BT features and reporting
- iCarsoft: pre-purchase compatibility support
Source review: September 28, 2026. OEM examples illustrate why behavior varies; their drive-cycle details must not be applied to unrelated vehicles. Generated illustrations are not diagnostic test evidence.
